According to sources within the European aerospace industry, on Friday, February 22, 2008, engineers at EADS-Astrium, the main contractor of the European Space Agency, in Bremen, Germany, received the order to stop all work on the Advanced Crew Transportation System, ACTS.

For those not familiar with ACTS: Russia is currently developing with European help the so called digitized Soyuz, called Soyuz-K. As a follow-on project for more passengers, cargo, capabilites ESA and Russia are (or were) examining potential spacecrafts for a Soyuz follow-on spacecraft (ACTS).

_________________"The hardest hurdle to space isn't the technicalities and money. But rather, the courage and the will to do it." - Burt Rutan.

I wish ESA and Europe would make up its mind whether or not it wants to play a fuller role in human spaceflight. They need to bite the bullet and build their own crew craft and stop fannying around or they are going to become also runs.

They have the ability and the infrastructure they need to get their act together. End of rant.

_________________A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

I think it is better that the European Governments dump their manned space program.

They'll never make up their minds, and when they do, it'll be 10 year late and 10 times over budget. At the end of the day, what is it going to achieve when the private sector would have probably build something at a fraction of the price during this period?

Europe seems disorganised and without a goal or a vision. Europe can develop a manned spacecraft, and we should do so. Mike Griffin recently urged Europe to do so, he claimed that the step wasn't that big from the ATV. And I agree. The ACTS seemed like a good plan, Russia and Europe could provide various modules and capsules for the design. Maybe ESA should become an agency under the EU. I don't want Europe to fall behind, which we will. USA, Russia and China has the capability. Why not Europe?